They say I have foot and mouth disease � Refugee

Lebogang Mosikare | Monday March 9, 2015 17:44

 

Before charges were read out to him, Tshepang Moyo, said that prison authorities have declined his request for blood tests to prove that he has no FMD. Earlier, the prosecutor, Keobonye Matsapa had informed the court that investigations in the illegal gun possession charge were complete before Moyo brought the case to a halt with his FMD bombshell. Matsapa tried in vain to tell the court that Moyo is being isolated because he has Chicken Pox and not FMD, which affects animals only and cannot be passed to humans.

Basupi postponed the matter to March 19 saying that the senior prison official implicated by the accused in the FMD claims must be given a chance to respond. He assigned the prison sergeant who was escorting Moyo to tell the Officer in Charge to appear in court during the next mention to tell his side of the story.

In another case, Moyo was sentenced to two years in jail for illegal possession of dagga last year at the Dukwi Camp. Moyo was given an option of paying P3,000 to avoid jail, but he told the court that he has not raised the money.

Meanwhile, an officer from the Self-Help Housing Agency (SHHA) was sentenced to three years in jail for theft. Nehemiah Vine was also ordered to refund the complainant the money he defrauded her. Vine was charged with one count of stealing P55,000 from Langanani Tose while working as a SHHA officer at the Francistown City Council in 2011. He vehemently denied the charge. But Basupi jailed him saying that he took into account that the accused was a first offender and a breadwinner for his family and dependants.

“As it appears in evidence, you took full advantage of your office to commit this offence. The complainant went to the SHHA offices with the full hope and trust that you will help. She went to the SHHA offices to ask for the procedure that one has to follow when selling a plot, but you ended up cheating her in the process,” said Basupi.